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Noting the Differences is Key

God established two distinctly different programs with their distinguishing characteristics that operate during two different dispensational ages. These differences apply to the two God-ordained people groups for those differing ages, as seen in the Bible.

One is “the children of Israel,” who became a Nation and were given the Mosaic Law with its ritual, rites, sacrifices and observances, as their instructions. This for those to whom and for whom nearly two thirds of the Bible were written.

The other is the regenerated sons and daughters of God who make up“the Body of Christ,”who live under the rarified atmosphere and paradigm of God’s freely given … pure Grace.

We need always to “distinguish the differences” in our study and application of the Scriptures.

“So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the differences], and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless[so thatwith hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble]. Philip. 1:10 (AMP)

The Nation of Israel:

There are several specific reasons why God made the nation of Israel His "special people" (Deut. 7:6. Exo 19:5). It begins with the persistent rebellion of mankind very early in history. We learn from Romans 1:21-32 that even "when they [mankind] knew God, they glorified Him not as God." Mankind plunged so deeply into idolatry and immorality that they sank to the level where "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge."

Since man was created as a free moral agent with choice, God did not force man to have a relationship with Him. However, He was not willing to stand idly by and allow the entire human race to foolishly run down a course leading to the eternal “Lake of Fire,” so He intervened by establishing the nation of Israel.

When Abram was called to become the father of Israel, God promised him three things:

"I willmake of thee a great nation… and

make thy name great… and

in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:2-3).

The first two promises amount to using the nation of Israel as an undeniable witness of God to the unbelieving world. Repeatedly, the Scripture tell us this was one of the primary purposes for Israel as a nation and all she encountered in history.

Solomon's prayer was"that all people of the earth may knowthy name…" (I Kings 8:43).

Hezekiah prayed that the Lord would deliver them from enemies "that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only" (II Kings 19:19).

Ezekiel was told to predict a future when enemies will "come up against my people of Israel…that the heathen may know me" (Ezek. 38:16).

Likewise, Isaiah predicts a day when "all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob [Israel]" (Isa. 49:26). Even those who do not want to retain the knowledge of God have heard of the Lord parting the Red Sea and providing a host of miracles for Israel. Israel has been God's witness to the world.

The third promise to Abram(above) was to bless all the families of the earth through him and his seed (lineage). Ultimately, this was fulfilled in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, coming as the Son of Man and Son of God to pay the ransom for the sins of all mankind. Salvation is now available to all becauseGod used Israel to produce a needed Savior.

The Mosaic Law for Israel Only:

It is imperative that we understand to whom the Law of Moses was given, what it involved, and why it was given. The Lord told Moses,

These laws were given only to the nation of Israel. They were not given to, nor intended for, Gentiles of the past or present. Moreover, many further misunderstand the scope of the Law of Moses. It was far more than the Ten Commandments; it included volumes of strict requirements governing the social, civil, dietary, and worship life of Israel, over 600 laws. It was an entire package to be obeyed. No one was allowed to pick and choose certain requirements and ignore others.

God had several important purposes for giving these laws. They were to be a testimony to all who "hear all these statutes, and say, Surely, this great nation is a wise and understanding people…who hath God so nigh unto them" (Deut. 4:5-8).

It was intended to draw lost souls back to God, but it was never intended as a way to merit eternal life or blessing. Paul taught, "Ye could not be justified [from sin] by the law of Moses"because it was given that "all the world may become guilty before God… for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:19-20). The law was a beautiful system for Israel, but even Peter acknowledged that it was a heavy "yoke…which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear" (Acts 15:10).

God's ultimate purpose for the law wasto prove man's guilt, to prove his inability to be righteous through good works, and to become "our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Gal. 3:24). Israel’s Mosaic Law is absolutely not intended for the practice of any believers today

How Long Did the Mosaic Law Last?

The Lord Jesus clearly said, "I am not sent but [except] unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 15:24). Jesus told “the twelve,”"Go not into the way of the Gentiles…but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 10:5-6). In the early chapters of Acts, it is clear that Israel was still the exclusive focus of Jesus’ ministry (Acts 2:5, 22, 36; 3:12, 25; 7:2, 51-52; 11:19,20).

Moreover, these Jewish believers were still operating under the law when Jesus came the first time. The Lord Jesus taught, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do" (Matt. 23:1,2). They were still to keep the law because Christ said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law… but to fulfil" (Matt. 5:17).

For many present-day Christians, much confusion exists because they incorrectly attempt to apply instructions and promises that were given EXCLUSIVELY to Israelunder “the Law.”

Many verses such as these below apply to Israel Only;

"take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat…or drink…but seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:25-33).

“And these signs shall follow them that believe… In my name shall they cast out devils… speak with new tongues… they shall lay hands on the sick" (Mark 16:17,18).

Only Israel was promised, "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:13,14; 16:23; Matt. 18:19).

Where do we find such verse that do not apply to the members of “the body of Christ”?

We find them when we read; 1) the Old Testament, 2) the four Gospel accounts, and 3) the early chapters of Acts. We today are not to claim those promises for healing and prayer power, nor to heed Jesus’ intensified Law as seen in the Matt. 5 so-called Sermon on the Mount and other heightened laws… since they are intended to be EXCLUSIVELYfor Israel. The four Gospels were included as part of our present-day Bible because God intended them "for our learning" (Rom. 15:4) and the account of Jesus’ cross-death and resurrection. Nothing Jesus instructed applies to us today, for He was speaking only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Let's learn the lessons God intended for uswithout claiming Israel's promises.

This explanation and understanding then is key of “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2Tim. 2:15), noting what applies to Israel and what applies to“the body of Christ.”

The Body of Christ:

Israel is a Nation, while “the body of Christ” is Christ’s invisible indwelled body of regenerated believers. His believers today do not form a nation, they arenot a nation or part of the nationof Israel. In the early part of the Book of Acts, God set the Nation Israel aside from her God-given favored and exalted position due to repeated waywardness.

“I say then, Have they [Israel] stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their [Israel’s] FALL salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them [Israel] be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them [Israel] the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? Romans 11:11-12 (KJV)15 For if the Casting Away of them [Israel] be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? Romans 11:15 (KJV)25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery [God-ordained secret plan], lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that Blindness In Part Is Happened To Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in [at the Rapture].” (Romans 11:25 (KJV)

Today, under Paul “gospel of the grace of God”"There is neither Jew nor Greek… for ye are ALL one in Christ" (Gal. 3:28). Today there is NO racial distinction at all, and there is NO race favored above another. ALL men are counted as lostand in needed the grace of God’s salvation that is found in Christ’s cross. Thus, Paul wrote;

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Romans 3:10-12 (KJV)

Today, those who place their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His cross-work on their behalf, are placed or set into a body of believers, without external distinction by a man-given name or manmade membership. They together are of new group of believerscalled "the church, which is His Body"or the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). This is a brand-new group of believers that began with the Apostle Paul.

Dr. C. I. Scofield said it well in his reference Bible when he wrote: "In his [Paul's] writings alone we find the doctrine, position, walk, and destiny of the Church." (Taken from notes on Ephesians 3:6)

The Apostle Paul teaches us, "Ye [all believers during this age of grace] are NOT under the law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:14).

But without the Law, how shall we live? The answer is that "…the grace of God [is]… teaching us that, denying ungodliness… we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Titus 2:11-13).

As we live in this current age of Grace, we are to depend on the grace of Christ in us to guide, prompt and restrain us in every area of our lives …looking consistently for ourpromises and instructions that are found in the letters of the Apostle Paul.

Thus, Israel (under the law), and the Body of Christ (under grace),are like a brother and sister. God is the Father of both, yet each is distinctly different. These differences are not intended to be diluted in any way to make them indistinguishable. We are to recognize, respect, and maintain these distinctions that will lead these two God-ordained groups to their respective destinies.

The Nation Israel will one day co-reign with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom and on the new earth (Rev. 5:10, 20:6).

The body of Christ will one day soon, be caught up (raptured) to dwell “eternal in the heavens” (2Cor. 5:1b), there to co-reign with Christ (2Tim. 2:12) in “the heavenly places” in union with Christ.

This duality of God’s ‘two unique people groups’ is a key to understanding our Bible.

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About Me

As you read through the various Articles and Study Series I've posted in this website, you will note that the topic of my writing always concerns Christ and our living relationship with Him. I thought some may want to know who I am and my point of view. Every Christian is the product of their life experiences and God's intervention in their lives. I'm just like you if you too are a believer who has received the regenerating "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." We thus are recipients of God the Father's grace, love and His literal life, received in the person His Son, Jesus Christ, as "the Spirit of life" (Rom 8:2a, cf., 2Cor 3:17, 1John 4:13). Christ literally indwells our spirit (cf., John 3:6, 1Cor 6:17, Rom 8:16) as our new and eternal life (Col 3:4, Gal 2:20). See more.